Xianren Cave – Wikipedia

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Cave and archaeological site in China

Xianren Cave
Wannian Xianrendong yizhi 8816.jpg
Xianren Cave is located in China

Xianren Cave

Location in China
Location Jiangxi
Region Southern China
Coordinates

29°33′56″N 115°57′31″E / 29.56556°N 115.95861°E / 29.56556; 115.95861Coordinates: 29°33′56″N 115°57′31″E / 29.56556°N 115.95861°E / 29.56556; 115.95861
History
Material Limestone Karst
Founded 20,000 BP
Abandoned 17,800 BP
Periods Paleolithic China
Xianren Cave is located in Continental Asia
Location of the Xianren Cave, with main contemporary cultures c. 20,000 before present

The Xianren Cave (Chinese: 仙人洞, Xiānréndòng), together with the nearby Diaotonghuan (Chinese: 吊桶环, Diàotǒnghuán) rock shelter, is an archaeological site in Dayuan Township (大源乡), Wannian County in the Jiangxi province, China[1] and a location of historically important discoveries of prehistoric pottery shards and it bears evidence of early rice cultivation. The cave’s name refers to the legendary Chinese enlightened people, the Xian “immortals”. The cave is 7 m (23.0 ft) high, 11 m (36.1 ft) wide, and 14 m (45.9 ft) deep.

A 2012 publication in the Science journal, announced that the earliest pottery yet known anywhere in the world was found at this site dating by radiocarbon to between 20,000 and 19,000 years before present, at the end of the Last Glacial Period.[2][3] The carbon 14 datation was established by carefully dating surrounding sediments.[3] Many of the pottery fragments had scorch marks, suggesting that the pottery was used for cooking.[3]

These early pottery containers were made well before the invention of agriculture (dated to 10,000 to 8,000 BC), by mobile foragers who hunted and gathered their food during the Late Glacial Maximum.[3]

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  • Inside the cave
  • 20,000–10,000-year-old pottery found in the cave, with re-construction repairs.[4]

    20,000–10,000-year-old pottery found in the cave, with re-construction repairs.[4]

  • Xianrendong cave pottery fragment, radiocarbon dated to c. 20,000 BP[3]

    Xianrendong cave pottery fragment, radiocarbon dated to c. 20,000 BP[3]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^

    “The unusual Xianren Cave (奇特的仙人洞)” (in Chinese). 31 August 2008. Archived from the original on 12 March 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2011.

  2. ^ Stanglin, Douglas (2012-06-29). “Pottery found in China cave confirmed as world’s oldest”. USA Today.
  3. ^ a b c d e Wu, X; Zhang, C; Goldberg, P; Cohen, D; Pan, Y; Arpin, T; Bar-Yosef, O (June 29, 2012). “Early Pottery at 20,000 Years Ago in Xianrendong Cave, China”. Science. 336 (6089): 1696–1700. Bibcode:2012Sci…336.1696W. doi:10.1126/science.1218643. PMID 22745428. S2CID 37666548.
  4. ^ Huan, Anthony (13 April 2019). “Ancient China: Neolithic”. National Museum of China.


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